Fermented foods risk assessment guide

The Risk assessment and legislative requirements for fermented foods guide (PDF 200KB) provides information to assist WA local governments and WA food businesses in assessing food safety risks associated with the manufacturing of fermented foods.>

Fermentation generally refers to the anaerobic process of breaking down carbohydrates into alcohol and carbon dioxide. In fermented foods, a complex mixture of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and micronutrients is broken down by enzymes produced by different microorganisms.

Natural fermentation is one of the oldest methods of food preservation. Naturally occurring microorganisms in raw food are responsible for products such as sauerkraut, kimchi and some fermented soy products. In contrast, food such as kombucha and kefir are produced via controlled fermentation where a starter culture is used.

The Risk assessment and legislative requirements for fermented foods guide (PDF 200KB) provides an overview of the:

• production process of kimchi (an example of lactic acid fermentation) and kombucha (an example of acetic acid fermentation),
• identification of food safety hazards in the production process,
• various Critical Control Points (CCP) to control the food safety hazards,
• factors that can affect the fermentation process, and
• legislative requirements for the production of fermented foods.

Refer to the Alcohol content and labelling requirements for non-alcoholic fermented beverages guide for guidance on monitoring compliance with the alcohol content and labelling requirements of the Food Standards Code by food businesses manufacturing fermented beverages commonly sold as non-alcoholic.